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Al Neri
Albert "Al" Neri was one of Michael Corleone's assassins, head of security, and later becomes the Corleone underboss. He was played by the late actor Richard Bright. Biography Early life and Career with the Police Force .]] Al Neri began his career as a New York City policeman where he earned a reputation as a legitimately tough officer thanks to his fiece temper and quick reflexes. He frequently patrolled with a large flashlight which he used to great effect, either cracking the foreheads of Italian youths that ran with street gangs or shattering the windshields of diplomats who showed no regard for traffic laws. After his wife Rita left him in fear of his temper, he killed violent pimp Wax Baines who was in the process of raping an under age girl, by shattering his skull with the flashlight and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Tom Hagen and Pete Clemenza saw in his record a parallel to Luca Brasi, Vito Corleone's previous enforcer, and arranged for his release before he served any prison time. Michael, appealing to Al's sense of loyalty and Sicilian roots, recruited him into Clemenza's regime where he "made his bones" and later became Michael's chief lieutenant, and most loyal ally. Career as a Corleone Al Neri became responsible for undermining the power structure of the Barzini family, and ordered the hits of traitor Jaggy Jovino, caporegimes Big Bobby Toro and Pietro Testa, consigliere Domenico Mazza and the family underboss, Emilio Barzini Jr. All of these hits were carried out by Aldo Trapani. When Michael ordered the assassination of the heads of the five New York Families, at the end of The Godfather: Part One, Al was responsible for the murder of Emilio Barzini, donning his old police uniform in order to arrange an ambush on the courthouse steps as Emilio was leaving. He also killed Philip Tattaglia's top button man shortly after with a meat cleaver. The Move to Nevada When Michael and his family moved to Nevada, Al became head of security for all hotels controlled by the Corleones. By this time Al is certainly seen to be an unofficial second-in-command to Michael. He functions as one of Michael's caporegimes after the betrayal of Salvatore Tessio, the death of Clemenza and the suicide of Frank Pentangeli. He is responsible for a prostitute's murder that guarantees the loyalty of Senator Pat Geary. He also forced Meyer Klingman, a rival hotel owner, into selling out to the Corleones. Al was also personally responsible for the assassination of Michael's brother Fredo Corleone, under Michael's orders for Fredo's previous betrayal. Al remains loyal to Michael, and when his Michael's mother dies, he is seen at the funeral paying his respects. In the 1960s, Al began to work closely with his nephew Tommy, who had also been accepted into the family business. The two of them were instrumental in the search for the turncoat Nick Geraci, and interrogated Nick's father Fausto for information. Fausto died from his wounds without revealing anything. When the traitor was found, Al was injured in a shootout, but managed to survive and witness Nick's execution at the hands of Eddie Paradise. Going Legitimate By 1979, the aging assassin was still working for the Corleones, his loyalty to Michael extending to the new Don, Michael's nephew Vincent, who he assisted in helping Michael escape a Commission meeting that was being attacked by Joey Zasa. It was Al and Connie Corleone who gave the go-ahead for Vincent's assasination of Joey Zasa shortly after, despite his protests that it would never work. Vincent's assasin mocked Joey Zasa and scratched the Cadilac that Zasa had bought as a prize for a raffel winner. Neri was disguised as one of the bearers of the Virgin Mary then when he was close enough exposed his shotgun then shooting Zasa's right hand, Anthony Squigliaro and then observing Joey's flight before he was shot down by Vincent who was disguised as a cop riding horse-back. Final Hit .]] Al's talents were called upon once again at the conclusion of the film when Vincent ordered him to kill Archbishop Gilday in revenge for the priest's intrigue against the family. He hid his gun beneath a box of chocolates as to get past Vatican Security, and shoot the Archbishop as he ascended a spiral staircase, sending him plummeting down a hole in the centre. Personality and Traits Al Neri seems to have a sociopathic, or possibly psychopathic personality, throughtout the series he kills a large number of people, though of course under orders. This includes a prostitute who he killed in a very bloody way. He is well trusted by the Corleones and eventually becomes the family's underboss, this is a testament to his huge amount of loyalty. Whilst he was a Police officer he was famed for his explosive temper, quick reflexes and brute physical strength which led to him taking the place of the assasinated Luca Brasi as head enforcer andd first choice hit-man for the family. While he is paralleled to Luca Brasi, there are several differences between the two. Brasi was a powerful, individual man who was already into crime before meeting the The Godfather. He was known for his savagery, strength, and implied "evil" in each of his actions. He was mostly viewed as a monstruous type of person, and while he worked loyally for the Corleones he often lived and moved by himself, only coming in to help Vito when he was asked for, or when he felt he needed to take initiative (such as when Vito got attacked). Al is quite different from all this. While he does seem to have little problem hurting and killing others, as a police officer he seemed to be primarily doing this because of his belief in justice (he smashes windows of the cars of diplomats for not obeying the law; this is a rash action though clearly not motivated by any bloody desires). Neri was also brought into the family during a weak moment, when he was just arrested. He also does not appear evil at all, as he was happily married before his wife left him. He was never angry or rough to his wife at all, while Brasi killed his 'lover' shortly after she bore his child. It appears that the real reason Neri was chosen to be the replacement was because of his powerful physical abilities, his fierce loyalty, and knowledge of police procedure, and many old contacts in the Department. Murders Commited by Al Neri *Drug dealer and pimp Wax Baines when he was still a New York Police Officer. *In the novel, it is heavily implied that Neri shoots Moe Greene to death, although the movie doesn't reveal Greene's murderer, most likely Neri. *Don Emilio Barzini. *Barzini's Unnamed Bodyguard. *Barzini's Unnamed Driver. *Fabrizio, killed with a car-bomb off screen. *An unnamed prostitute with the intention of blackmailing Pat Geary. But in The Godfather's Revenge it is revealed that Neri gave the job to a unknown associate because he couldn't stand to harm a woman. *Fredo Corleone, for his betrayal of Michael. *Sal Narducci's henchman, killed and buried in the desert outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. *Fausto Geraci Sr, Nick Geraci's father, in an attempt to find infomation about his son's where-abouts result in a heart attack. *Anthony "The Ant" Squigliaro, gun shot in the chest in Little Italy. *Archbishop Liam Gilday. Category: Corleones Neri Neri Neri